


We'll be alright

by nineteensai



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24566065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nineteensai/pseuds/nineteensai
Summary: There is hurt in her back, aches at her hips and pain in her right ankle. Did she really care about getting another Olympic gold medal? She'd be lucky if she got silver, Yuna knew.Fortunately, meeting one sunny, Spanish figure skater changes this.AU Sochi 2014.
Relationships: Javier Fernández/Yuna Kim
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction, not to be taken seriously. Besides being AU, it could also be a 'For Want of a Nail' kind of fic. In this world, the controversy at Sochi does not happen. What if Yuna Kim and Javier Fernandez met? And what are the consequences of such a meeting at Sochi 2014?

Yuna Kim was tired.

She was tired, injured, tired of being injured, and tired in general.

But she couldn't show it, not when the cameras were on her, when international media surrounded her, as well as the fans, the crowds of Sochi, Russia, and everything else. Her coaches did all they could to help her, including the team physician, but Yuna doubted that she could do anymore to increase the probability of her winning a second Olympic gold medal. Upon hearing this from her, her coaches scolded her. "This is not the attitude of an Olympic champion. Russia will capitalize off of you if you do not show them your strength."

Away from the media, in the privacy of her hotel room, Yuna said "I have my Olympic gold medal. I'm not desperate."

"Remember the young Korean girls who look up to you, Yuna. All our skaters look to you to follow."

She sighed at this.

The figure skating hopefuls in South Korea were the only reason she was doing this at all. It wasn't as if the KSU were interested in figure skating. Yuna Kim was their only real star and Olympic champion, and a money-maker, so of course they were invested in this. Without any filter, Yuna asked "I suppose the Korean Skating Union will build me a monument for another gold medal?"

Her coaches were offended. "Mind your manners, young lady. Your are blessed to be given such talent. Think of your mother."

Yuna did, and said nothing more.

She knew how much her mother and family sacrificed to get her where she was. Yuna wanted to be able to use her opportunities after winning gold in Vancouver to finally give back to her mother and country, and she did. Somehow, though, the KSU got to her mother, who convinced her to get back into competing for one last Olympics. "If you want to get more opportunities for other young Koreans here to skate, Yuna, get another Olympic gold medal. It will be the only thing to convince our country that figure skating is a legitimate sport, not just speed skating."

Of course, Mother was right. Yuna wanted to help the South Korean girls who looked up to her. There were some young, emerging talents, and there wasn't any way Yuna could refuse the KSU when they bargained for better training facilities and conditions for the junior skaters. Yuna had had so little to go off of as a child; she didn't want her fellow skaters to suffer the way she did.

So, here Yuna was, in Sochi, Russia.

The back massage she received was somewhat adequate to distract her from the pain in her right ankle. She still felt a bit stiff around her hips, but then, better that than her back or ankle.

It would be a miracle if she could get gold at all, what with all her injuries. Yuna felt like a crippled, old woman. She wouldn't be surprised if the Russians knew of her weaknesses and already picked one of the Russian teenagers to replace her as Olympic champion.

She didn't realize she had wandered by the boards of the ice rink.

A man was on the ice, skating around the rink. He wore a red and yellow jacket, the colors of...Spain?

He stopped by the boards, looking up at her.

"Whoa, I didn't know there was someone here."

Yuna was so surprised, she wasn't sure what to say.

He got off the ice and stepped towards her before stopping. Then he gasped. "Wait, you're Kim Yuna. Wow, I get to meet the Queen!"

Yuna smiled. "Just Yuna. Yuna Kim. And you are Javier Fernandez of Spain."

Javier smiled back. He bowed from the waist, his expression sincere. "Yes, Your Majesty. Have you come here to practice, too?"

Yuna thought about this. Why did she come here? Practice wasn't until two days after. "Oh, I just thought I'd come and see the ice. I'm a bit tired, actually."

Javier didn't look convinced. His big, dark brown eyes and long lashes scanned her without any sort of leering gaze, only concern. "Are you? If you're not feeling alright, I can get someone to-"

"No! No, thank you, but I just need some time to sit and rest."

Javier shrugged. "Ok."

"May I ask why you're here? I'm sure Brian is missing you."

Blinking, Javier looked at her. "Brian is making sure Yuzuru doesn't over do it."

Yuna realized that Brian had two students. Javier Fernandez, who came to TCC after she had long split with Orser, and Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan. She had heard the two were rising stars, and both were potential contenders for the podium in Sochi. "I see. Well, I wish you luck, Javier. Brian is lucky to have you and Yuzuru Hanyu."

"Oh no. I'm lucky to have found Brian. I'll be glad to get any Olympic medal. But you and Yuzuru will definitely win gold here."

Why did Yuna feel so at ease that she didn't feel the pains in her back, hips or ankle? Was it because Brian wasn't around, and his student was, completely unaware of his potential?

Yuna sighed. "I doubt that."

Javier stared. "Why? You're a favorite to win gold again, like Katarina Witt. It was all over the news."

She looked at the ice, wistful. "In Vancouver, I was healthy. I wanted gold more than anything. But along the way, I got injured. I don't have the triple Loop anymore, and I couldn't train the Axel, not after that. I was lucky to have skated clean at Vancouver while Mao made mistakes. Now, I think I'll get silver. Mao or the Russian girls could very well overtake me."

Javier gaped. "Yuna, you beat Mao without the triple Axel or Loop. And the Russian girls are good, but they're not refined like you or Mao. You can't give up so easily."

"I won't. But with my injuries, it'll be difficult for me. Certainly, the judges will want a Russian girl to win here on home ice. It's just the way it is."

Javier frowned. "I don't believe that. The only one I can think of who is most deserving of being double Olympic champion in ladies' singles is you."

Yuna gave him her brightest smile, willing herself not to cry. "Thank you, Javi."

Javier then said "Watch me. I have two programs that'll make you forget anything about the ladies' competition."

So Yuna Kim watched Javier Fernandez skate his programs for the first time.

\----------------------------------

"So why are you alone here?"

Javier was back, drinking water from his canteen on the bench near her. "I needed to let off some steam."

"Oh? Are you nervous?"

Chuckling, Javier said "I screwed up talking to the media about Russia's anti-LGBTQ laws. It was stupid of me. Brian had to do damage control. That's why he's not with me right now."

While Yuna had had a bad split with Brian, she felt bad that he had to face the media. "I'm sorry, Javi. For sure, Brian will help you. And I don't think you're anything like they say. They don't know you at all."

He smiled that endearing, charming smile of his. "Thank you. I feel better already."

They sat in companionable quiet for a while.

Javier then said "I know you said you don't think you'll get gold, because the judges may already have an image of you in mind. Injuries or not, you're the best of your field. You will beat the rest of the ladies and come out with another Olympic gold medal."

Yuna shrugged. "It really doesn't matter. I came here to put on a good performance, to show my people that they can make it to the Olympics if they persevere. The judges-"

"Screw the judges. You're the Queen. There isn't anyone like you, and there will never be another one like you after you retire."

She blinked as Javier turned to her, his dark eyes serious.

Javier said "My own placement may be affected because of the media, so I'm finished, no matter what. But you're not. Listen, Yuna. Triple flip, single loop, triple Sal."

Yuna stared. "What?"

Javier whipped out a pen and post it out of nowhere. He wrote on it "3F-Euler-3S". He looked at her and said "Remember this."

Yuna was taken back. "Javier..."

"It's true, you may not have the triple Loop or the triple Axel. But, your triple Flip is the best out of all the ladies. You're great at Toe jumps. So, if the Flip is one of your single biggest jumps, then put this combo in somewhere in our program. The Russians could be counting on their girls' flexibility and youth, but they don't have your textbook technique nor experience. They can't beat you, not unless the judges look away from you. And this combo isn't something they can ignore, not if they want a scandal like Salt Lake City."

She looked at the combo on the Post-it. "I've never attempted it. Only the men have."

Javier said "You have the 2A-2T-2L in the second half of your program, right? Yuzu and I watched Golden Spin of Zagreb. It's beautiful. Though, I bet if you put that in a different place in the program and did 3F-Eu-3S, you'd get more points. Especially if its in the bonus round."

Yuna bit her lip. "I don't know. My coaches and I went through the layout, and they said I would win."

"If the judges are fair. And we all know judges are human."

This was too true. Yuna had heard gossip from other skaters and coaches about how Russia was hungry for gold medals at this particular Olympics. At Vancouver, they had less than they ever had before. She could only imagine just how well the Russian coaches were drilling their charges now.

She asked quietly "Do you really think I can do this?"

Javier said earnestly "Yuna, you're the only one who can do this."

And she thought about the young skaters at home waiting to see her perform on international broadcast. Her family. Her mother.

Yuna said "I'll go over it with my coaches when I see them."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yuna and Javier put their heads together, and other help from their coaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the product of rampant speculation and late-night imagineering. In other words, this is a work of FICTION. Just imagine a world where these two meet and become friends.

Javier said "Maybe you should call David instead."

Yuna thought about this. "True. David did choreograph Adios Nonino. I should ask him how to fit the 3F combo in my program. My coaches might push back, think it too dangerous."

"I'm not suggesting you should take a risk and get injured. Though, wouldn't it be the biggest surprise to everyone - the audience, the judges, and your coaches - that you do this instead of your planned content?"

She giggled. "You're quite the showman, aren't you, Javier? Points are fine, however, I don't want to sacrifice my performance for mere numbers."

"Of course not. Adios Nonino may be a farewell piece from Astor Piazzolla to his father, but Astor defied the conventions of tango and made history. Yuna, think about it. What better way of saying 'Adios' to competition than performing the way you want to?"

This was intriguing, indeed. Yuna had read about Astor Piazzolla, his life, his music. The message of Adios Nino she had meant to say 'Goodbye' to her amateur career. But defiance? Yuna had never openly defied anyone. Save for Brian, she had never said no to her mother, to the KSU, to her sponsors, to anyone asking her for more. And splitting with Brian Orser...that wasn't really defiance. Not at all.

Looking at Javier Fernandez, this was the man who defied his country's view of what a sport was, of what a man can do if he worked hard and dreamed.

Javier said "Well, I'm not saying you shouldn't listen to your coaches. They trained you, after all, and they knew you were going to be a star. Just..."

"Just?"

"You don't need to be a good girl all the time. Playing the model ice princess that the ISU wants, or the IOC likes. You are you. So do what you want, all of it."

Yuna found she couldn't say anything.

The lump in her throat wouldn't let her.

Javier rubbed the back of his neck. "Gah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so self-righteous and pushy-"

Yuna shook her head, smiled through the oncoming flow of tears as she tried to get out the words to thank Javier for his kindness. "No-"

"Javi, what - what's going on here?!"

Both skaters turned to see Brian Orser coming towards them. He looked shocked.

Javier startled. "Brian, it's not what it looks like-"

"Yuna. Javi, what happened? I've handled the media, and to find you here with the reigning ladies Olympic champion, in tears-"

Yuna quickly dried her tears with one hand before saying as calmly as she could "I'm fine, Brian. Javier was just being kind to me."

Javier suddenly felt awkward. He knew that Yuna had left Brian after 2010, a couple of months after her Olympic win. From what he had heard, it was a bad break-up, and not even David could help save the burned bridge between the two.

Brian stopped where he was. He shook his head. "Alright. I'm sure your coaches are looking for you right now, Yuna. Javi, we need to go over some things before you rest up for tomorrow."

Javier said "Yeah, uh, I actually want to do a bit more stroking here."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. And is David still awake? I'd like to run through some things one more time."

Brian ran a hand through his thinning hair. "Javi...there's a practice session for the men tomorrow. Both you and Yuzu will be there."

"And I'm sure that Ghislain can take care of him for now. I swear I won't do anything too crazy, honest! I don't want to get injured tomorrow."

Sighing, Brian said "Well, at least you're not Yuzuru. Fine. But I'm staying here to make sure that you don't bump into Yuna. She needs her coaches with her."

Yuna started at this. "Brian, my coaches aren't here."

"Yes, exactly. David has their numbers, they have his. I'm not about let Javier get into more trouble than he already is. They'll come soon enough."

~~~~~~~~~~

It was a mark of Brian Orser's professionalism as he watched them skate without any bitter feelings. At first, Yuna had thought he was trying to protect Javier from her. It was insulting, but then she realized that Brian meant the Russian media or the Spanish media, who had caught wind of Javier's unintended words, twisting it to mean something completely different. The more she thought about it, if her coaches did find her instead of Brian, they would have likely tried to blame Brian and Javier for any harm done to her. The Korean media would join in on the bashing on TCC again.

So Yuna took it without any resentment for the past as she skated in front of her former coach.

When the coaches and David came, they skated towards the boards. Her coaches looked at Brian and Javi askance. "Why are you here on your own? We expressly forbid you doing any practices without us or the physician nearby!"

Yuna said "I was going through a run-through. I met Javi, who was practicing his programs. Watching him, I had an idea. I want you and David to help me on this."

When David came over to her, Javier and Brian heard exclamations from them. David squawked "You want to do what?!"

"I know it sounds risky, but...I realize that I haven't put a 3F combo in. So, if I can put the 3 doubles at the end with the music when it rises-"

Shin was scandalized. "That's so dangerous! Your injuries, Yuna! If you fall, you will be off the podium."

"I know the risks, Shin. But this is my last, so I want this to be truly special. It's true that Russia wants to put their skaters first. This is my way of saying 'Adios' to everyone."

Frowning, her coaches looked at Brian and Javier. "What ideas did they put in your head?"

At this, Yuna clicked her tongue. "Nothing like you say. Brian actually came because he was missing Javier. I saw Javier skate, and I liked how he put a triple Flip, single loop and triple Sal as the last of his combo in his program. The men can do that, but I haven't yet seen anyone in the ladies' division do it. Mao has the 3F-3Lo, which she does really well. She's probably putting in two triple Axels in her free program to make up for her Short. What about me?"

Her coaches looked at each other. "Well, that is..."

"I wanted David here so he could help me tweak my program a bit. You say that I can win with my current layout, but we all know the judges and the Russians have a specific expectation in mind."

Ryu sighed. "You have been through so much. I promised your mother you wouldn't be hurt anymore."

"This is my last program, Coach. My last skate. I am grateful to everyone for supporting me, but now, I must give my final message to the world."

Shin clicked her tongue. "It is true that the Russians are doing much to push their skaters forward. As much as you can, Yuna, have you considered your current physical state?"

Yuna recalled what Javier told her earlier. Shen Xue, 2003, World Championships. Nodding, she said "I remember Shen and Zhao at Vancouver. You know their story, Coach. During 2003 WC, Shen was in dire pain, especially her ankle. She was given extreme painkillers. Surely, I can get that injection from the physician before the free program."

Her coaches gasped. "Yuna!"

"I will give my best performance here in Sochi. Pain will not stop me from giving the people my last goodbye."

Then David came over. "Yuna, come over. Javi's going to skate. Now, he and Yuzu have been skating together for a while, and in their practices, they'll do this combo. So, once you're ready, come onto the ice, and we'll do a few jumps."

Yuna nodded and said "I'll be there."

She met Javier's eyes, and for the first time in a while, Yuna felt no crushing expectations or stress from her injuries.

Only hope, and a feeling of weight being lifted off her shoulders. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Skating with Javier was a lot like being with David.

It helped immensely that David was there to be a bridge between her and the TCC men. Javier said "You know, watching Yuna do the Lutz, I feel I could do just like her."

Yuna smiled. "You can. You have two quads, the Sal and the Toe loop. Why not the quad Lutz?"

Javier shook his head. "It's too advanced. And my Flip and Lutz aren't very good to morph into quads. If anyone can do a quad Flip or Lutz, I bet it'd be you."

"But I'm too old to learn quads. I think the Russian girls have a better chance of that than me."

David rolled his eyes. "Again with that defeatist attitude. Yuna, honey, stop with the humbleness already! It's unbecoming of the Queen."

Javier said "They might be younger, but they're just learning how to skate and jump. Yuna, only you would be accepted as able to compete with the men in jumps."

"Flatterer. You're just distracting yourself from actually doing your own training."

They stopped by the boards to get a drink of water.

Yuna said "Javi, I really appreciate your help. Let me help you."

Javier raised his brows. "Yeah?"

"You have two quads, the Sal and Toe. Like what you suggested to me, why don't you put one of them in a three way combo? Quad Toe, euler, triple Sal?"

He thought about this.

Surprisingly, Brian agreed. "That's quite doable, actually. Javi."

Javier paused after swallowing some water. "I could. I could also do a triple Axel, single loop, triple Flip."

Yuna said "You probably have some triple Axel combo somewhere in your program. Why not, Javi?"

Brian said "You have points to make up for after the Short. The free program, you can make it up."

Javier looked between them before nodding. "Ok. Yuna, if you do the 3F-euler-3S, I'll do the 4T-euler-3F."

Yuna smiled. "I'll see you on the podium, then."

"After I see you get your second consecutive Olympic gold medal, your Majesty." 

\-----------------------

Yuna stood on her skates, her hands on knees. She was breathing hard, after practicing the 3F-euler-3S. This combination was written in the second half of her free program, pushing back the 2A-2T-2Lo to the very end. Looking up, she saw Javier across the ice, jumping into the 4T-3T. It was flawless.

David skated over to her. "You're doing good. Let's take a five minute break."

Not wanting to over work herself too hard (her injuries still present), Yuna went over to the boards for some water. She watched as Brian went over to where Javier was, saying something, and Javier considering his words.

David said "I'm surprised you wanted to do this combo, Yuna. Going for the 3A or even the 4T seems more doable, you know."

"I wouldn't be able to do those jumps. I don't have the time to train in them."

He nodded. "I know. It's surprising what Javi can come up with on such short notice."

They watched as Javier went into his 4T-euler combo.

The first jump went well.

A single loop in the middle...

Before he turned and dug his toe-pick into the ice, and launched into 3 revolutions, landing smoothly.

Yuna smiled as David and Brian jumped up and clapped.

Javier bowed to them, grinning, before skating over to Yuna.

"What do you think, mi reina? The triple Flip at the end!"

She laughed. "You did it, Javi! And it was done well in concert with the first 2 jumps."

"Your 3F-lo-3S will look better than my quad-euler combo. I know it. You're going to get +3 GOE for that!"

Yuna smiled before she sobered. "Maybe."

Javier saw her mood change. "Why do you say that?"

"It's rather late to change my program. The judges might mark me down for that."

David said "It happens, though. If a skater happens to mess up on an element and lose points, like Mr. Fernandez here-"

"Ah, come on, David!"

"-there's no rule saying that adding something here or there isn't possible. The only thing I see wrong is if those judges give you a 0 in GOE. Everyone knows you are the top of the ladies in terms of jumps."

Brian put in "Unexpected entries into jumps - or into any element - makes things more interesting, besides earning points. Your 3F-lo-3S combo will be very unexpected, and done well, will garner the points you need to overtake the Free over anyone else. Sotnikova included."

David agreed. "The judges were doing overtime on that girl's scores. It was unbelievable that she's close to you in the Technical score."

Yuna shrugged. "I can't do anything about the panel or the judges. My performance must matter."

Javier said "The most. And your performance will, Yuna. Not just because of the jumps."

It surprised Yuna then when her coaches Shin and Ryu spoke up. Shin looked at Brian. "Mr. Orser, do you think that the judges will try to raise Sotnikova in the Free?"

Brian was just as surprised he was being addressed. "I'm sure that with the help of the home crowd, the judges will do their best to watch her."

Ryu said "The truth, please. Yuna is risking her health. The layout we had for her is meant to break her World Record from Vancouver."

Yuna clicked her tongue. "Ryu!"

Her coach looked at her coolly. "We have indulged your spontaneity for a while, Yuna. You know this country isn't as friendly as Canada."

Javier looked at his coach, as did David.

Brian nodded, blue eyes honest. "Alright. My opinion isn't the truth, though. Adelina's 3-3 combo in the Short was not enough to overtake Yuna's."

Ryu swore in Korean. "I knew it!"

Brian went on "It's not just the combo, though. Her skating skills are still very unrefined, her speed isn't impressive, her posture...ugh, I don't know how a Russian lady can get away with that, especially if they have the Vaganova ballet here. Her jumps...need to be reviewed. In my opinion, she'd warrant scores closer in the Grand Prix in France."

Shin said "And yet, she is second in the Short."

"She's a talented girl, but she still needs a lot of improvement. Thus the push for her to get into the Free."

Ryu frowned. "I have nothing against the girl, but she does not have what it takes to bear the mantle of Olympic champion."

Brian said "I know. Life is unfair."

Javier broke up the dreary atmosphere. "Hey, can we go over the fact that Yuna will come back in the Free? And that I'm going to pull off a Hail Mary in mine?"

Yuna saw the spell on them be broken.

Shin looked at the Spanish man. "You seem very confident in someone whom you know nothing of."

Javier shrugged. "Yuna is a former TCC student. Her toe jumps are better than mine and Yuzu's. Of course she'll pull it off. She doesn't even need the 3A or 4T like I do in mine."

Ryu spoke to Yuna in their native language. "Why are you listening to these men?"

Yuna spoke back calmly, with respect "Because they're telling the truth. And Javier is a friend, and fellow TCC skater. Brian and I may have argued in the past, and it was bad, but he's not aiming to disadvantage me. It's a shock that he's allowing his own skater to associate with me."

Then Ryu and Shin turned to Brian again. "How high do you think Yuna's new FS layout will be?"

Brian said "I haven't done the calculations, however, the 3-lo-3 combination that Yuna has now will put to doubt any weaknesses she has."

Then Javier said "Actually, with +3 GOE in all the elements and the right levels, plus the 10% bonus round with the last four jumps in the last half of the program, Yuna's score should be between 155-160."

Everyone stared at him.

Javier added "Oh yeah, that's the low end of the scoring. 160-166 is the highest. Even with the lowest estimate, she'd be setting a new record. During the short program, she ought to have been 5 points higher. I suspect the judges were lowballing her scores. However, with the never before seen or done 3F-lo-3S, no one can deny Yuna of her 2nd Olympic gold."

Yuna sighed, but she was feeling rather giddy that Javier had done this in mind for her. "Unless they decide that my first jump is prerotated."

Javier protested "Hey! Don't jinx yourself!"

Shin said "Yuna never prerotates or jumps wrong edge."

David spoke up "Alright, everyone, let's get the kids to bed. They have their Free programs to rest up for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too sure about the scores, but if Yuna Kim had been scored correctly IRL, she would've broken her record from Vancouver 2010. All I'm doing is throwing numbers up. The only thing I'm inflating is Javier's and Yuna's friendship. +3 GOE, anyone?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sochi 2014 ladies' competition is over. The press conference happens, and the Law of Unintended Consequences ensues.

They had done a few run throughs and taken several hours, but it was worth it.

Before leaving the rink, Yuna walked besides Javier. They were outside in the cool night air, behind the coaches heading back to their respective hotels.

Yuna felt a spring in her step she hadn't felt in a long time.

Javier said "I'll see you after the competition, champion."

She smiled at him. Javier was truly wonderful. Yuna knew that he himself was facing his own issues, yet, he stopped and came to help her without expecting anything in return. She decided she would help him.

Facing him, she tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek.

Javier blinked, startled.

Yuna said "I hope you'll think of me. If only to banish the darkness during competition."

A dreamy smile appeared on Javier's face. "I see no darkness now that I see you."

Despite herself, Yuna inwardly let out a girlish squeal of delight. "Good night, Javi."

"Good night, mi reina."

\----------------------------

It would have been a lie to say that Yuna wasn't nervous during the ladies' Free skate.

As Shin and Ryu watched her stretch in the back, she thought about her new layout.

She visualized herself doing them, all while keeping her Tango absolutely divine. Her Ina Bauer into the 2A-2T-2L was her signature; it took some time for David and her to go over the changes that would keep everything smooth.

Remembering Javier's words, it calmed her to know that he had such faith in her.

"The thing about the 3F is that it requires a turn before digging the toe pick in, unlike the Lutz, which is just a long line down before deep outside edge-toe-pick-take-off. You do those jumps so well, I can see you doing something totally out of this world and blowing the judges's socks off - spiral into 3F-euler-3S! I bet they'd be expecting you to stick to your regular 2A-2T-2L, and I know you do it perfectly. But what if you did that spread eagle change-of-edge...or better yet, your Ina Bauer into the three double combo at the end? I bet David would love that!"

Yes, David had enjoyed that. Even he agreed. "It'll be your 'Adios'! Vancouver was great, and Gershwin could not be prouder than me. If you do that Tano at the end - with the 2L - it will remind the judges and the audience that you aren't completely finished yet. Then the CCspin, and your final I-spin at the end. Who says that your layout is weaker compared to everyone else's?"

The truth was, Yuna would be counting on every level and GOE she could get to make sure would win. To thank Javier, David and Brian Orser for all that they had done for her.

Despite all of what Brian and her coaches have said, she didn't believe in looking at the other skaters' scores. The judges may have their bias, but everyone knew that Yuna Kim's quality and technique were unmatched.

If Lipnitskaia or Sotnikova were going to be in the long program, so be it.

They did not have a 3-lo-3 in their free.

Brian had told Shin and Ryu his thoughts. "Sotnikova may be receiving generous scores. However, the judges can only give her so much. Ignoring her edge issues and underrotations, she's short of Yuna's WR in 2010."

This caused her coaches to look outraged. "Is there no fairness at the Olympics?"

Brian shrugged. "The name of the game is 'Winning'. Russia will want one of their girls to podium. The only think that can be done is focus on what Yuna has. She has a good mindset and nerves of steel. Her technique is perfect. Surprising the judges with the 3F-lo-3S will erase any doubts that she's over 20 with injuries. Javier's calculations are correct. Now it's up to the judges and the audience."

Yuna took off her headphones.

The thirty minute warm-up was over.

She went with her coaches to the Sochi arena.

\-----------------------

During the program, Yuna Kim poured her heart and soul out into Adios Nonino.

A lovely goodbye to the people who supported her, and a defiant yell to all those who wanted her to crumble on the ice, to fall, to step out and slip. She was no longer a young, sexy, vivacious Bond girl, or the classic ice princess of Gerswhin's music; like Piazzolla, she defied everyone's expectations of her this night. She danced the way she wanted to, all of her elements perfectly in line with the music, frustrating the conservative judges and confounding the audience.

Yes, this was the piece missing from Adios Nonino during her first competitions before the Sochi Olympics started.

There were gasps from the Russian crowd as she performed the never-before-attempted 3F-euler-3Sal in the beginning of the second half of the program. Only the male skaters ever did something like this; Yuna Kim had just proved the first woman to achieve the success in competition - in an OLYMPIC competition. She felt no pain in her back or ankle; the extreme pain killers she took, plus the vitamins she took, gave her the numbness needed to ignore her body's need for rest and use muscle memory to keep jumping, spinning, performing.

The tango was perfect. David stayed up with her and Javier, going over the steps. Her last jump was the 3 doubles combo, her signature - now -

Hearing the rising tension of the notes, as in Vancouver during Gershwin's Concerto, Yuna jumped into the 2A-2T-2L with flawless execution. She was one with the music to the very end, and going into her last spin combo, it wasn't hard to generate the speed to make the number of rotations (after all, the last double sent her spinning pretty fast). Thank Javier and David for their help!

Striking her last pose on the beat of the music, she heard the roars from the different countries in the arena.

She didn't realize how tired she was until she made it to the Kiss and Cry area. Her feet felt shaky, but that was nothing to the trembling in her fingers as she gripped her huge teddy bear. Shin and Ryu hugged her and sat with her as they awaited the scores.

"The scores please, for Yuna Kim of the Republic of Korea...Yuna Kim has earned in the Free Program..."

Her heart beat in her ears. Despite how she told Javier it didn't matter if she earned silver, Yuna felt the jitters enter her body and her heart.

Javier had helped her even though he was in a bad situation worse than her. Besides her country and family, Javier was waiting for her to win the competition. Would he be sad? Upset? Disappointed? The judges did have their favorites, and they may have not marked her never before seen 3F-euler-3Sal combo, choosing to ignore her in favor of Sotnikova, the only Russian lady who had not fallen in her programs.

She also owed it to David, who had come to help her and was the diplomat between her and her coaches and Brian.

And then there was Brian.

Even though he had no responsibility towards her any longer, even though they had said awful things to each other, done things to each other after their break up, Brian had come and protected her. Not just Javier. He had been worried over his skater, yes, but in a way, Brian had made sure that no one disturbed her, and had contacted her coaches and David to come and find her. He had allowed Javier to stay and help her, even though Yuna was sure that Brian would have rather been helping Javier instead. There was no advantage to be gained with Yuna Kim anymore.

Yet, Brian Orser had agreed with her and allowed for his skater to mingle and even associate with a foreign skater and her coaches. Ryu and Shin had even told her "He is the reason you have an Olympic gold medal. If not for him, you would not be here tonight, either. So thank Brian Orser for all he's given you. He did not have to help you, and neither did his skater."

The only way to do that, Yuna knew, was by winning a second Olympic gold medal.

It was getting to more than a few minutes for her scores to come up. What was going on with the technical panel? The judges should've have decided by now-

"156.65, a new season's best for Yuna Kim of the Republic of Korea."

Yuna stared, as did her coaches, at the jumbotron.

That number was huge. Did she actually do all that...?

"Yuna Kim of the Republic of Korea is currently in first place."

There was dead silence at first. And then...

All around them, Yuna heard chanting.

"QUEEN YUNA! QUEEN YUNA! QUEEN YUNA~"

And there was also "RUSSIA!" besides the other countries screaming "KOREA!!!"

The whole stadium, in other words, was in chaos.

\----------------------------

Yuna barely remembered the blur of what happened after.

The podium, the pictures, receiving flowers, posing with the medallists (Carolina in second place, Sotnikova in third), the victory lap...

Yuna had been searching the audience for Javier Fernandez.

Was Javier finished? Did he see her skate?

The press conference was tiring. Yuna was receiving all sorts of questions about her program, her state of mind, her plans after the day. Inwardly sighing, Yuna said "It was my final performance. I wished to give it my all."

"There have been rumors of you with Javier Fernandez before today. Are you two dating?"

Now this question woke Yuna up.

Both Carolina and Adelina turned to her, eyes wide.

Yuna cleared her throat. "Rumors are rumors. I met Javier during Vancouver. We are not in a romantic relationship."

"There are pictures from a few nights ago with you two in it. Your coaches, Brian Orser and David Wilson were with you."

A headache began to form. Yuna said calmly "I met Javier at the rink, yes. Of course, my coaches, choreographer, Javier and his coach were there as well. It has been a while since I've seen Javi and Brian."

"What is your relationship with Javier Fernandez? Does Orser approve?"

Yuna calculated how long this would take. On one hand, this was bound to go in circles if she kept denying it. On the other, it was good that Javier wasn't being spoken of negatively. The men's competition should have ended before the ladies' began. Surely, Javier made the podium?

So Yuna said "Javier and I are good friends. Our coaches of course don't mind us talking and spending time together after practice."

"So you were practicing with Javier Fernandez?"

What could she say? Well, it was true. But how to word it to the public and international media... Outwardly, Yuna said "Basic stroking. I thought I was alone, and there Javier Fernandez was. Brian came and complimented me for not forgetting Tracy's stroking lessons."

There was a round of polite laughter.

Another reporter asked "It is a mark of your incredible mental strength to get through such training. How did you do it, Queen Yuna? 3F-euler-3Sal...only the men have been able to do those combos in competition!"

Yuna smiled. "It was hard. My coaches and I went through different layouts to Adios Nonino, and I realized that there was no 3F combo. I consulted with my coaching team and David Wilson, and decided that it was doable. After all, I'm no Mao Asada. I don't have the triple Axel or the triple Loop anymore."

"About that, Ms. Kim, your coaches have said that you have been taking it easy because of your injuries. How did you manage to get through nearly 5 minutes on your ankle?"

Ah, the weakness. They wanted to know why she hadn't succumbed to weakness and fallen to give their Russian lady first place. Yuna replied "At Vancouver, I had the fortune to meet the great Shen Xue, the wife of Zhao Hongbo of China. She, too, was once injured during a major competition. Despite that, Shen Xue persevered. I couldn't really move without a lot of pain, so I decided I would 'eat bitter' like her and take painkillers. It was really the only thing I could do."

"Wonderful. Your courage and inner strength are truly immeasurable, Queen Yuna. Congratulations on your second Olympic gold medal."

She smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate everyone's support."

"Will you compete in Pyeongchang?"

Yuna blinked. "No. This is my last competition."

"Only two other women have won consecutive gold medals. Since it's in your home country, you would be able to do it."

Sighing, Yuna said "The truth is, my body is no longer capable of such extreme training. And anyways, it's more important to me to be able to host the Olympics in Korea than winning another gold medal. One must create more value than what is taken."

The next round of questions went to the Olympic silver and bronze medallists. Yuna sighed inwardly in relief. Finally, the jackals were away from her.

Her mind flew to Javier. Was he alright? Did he get gold? Not that it mattered to Yuna. Javier was golden, much like the sun of his country. She was hoping to get to him before the night was over, to properly thank him for everything. She would invite him, Olympic medal or no, to All That Skate this summer. They could spend more time together, getting to know each other. Didn't he have an ice-show? She would have to look it up. Yuna could definitely perform in his show, help teach some basic figure skating classes, see the sights of Spain...

"Ms. Sotnikova, what do you think happened in the free skate? You were so close to winning gold for Russia."

Yuna heard the question, finally coming back to the press conference.

The Russian teenager seemed flustered. "I did the best I could, given the circumstances."

"Can you explain more about that?"

Poor Adelina, thought Yuna. These reporters, even if they were from your home country, were absolutely merciless.

In true teenage fashion, Adelina made a face. "I know I was never a favorite to win. Yulia made mistakes, and I know I made mistakes, too. It happens in figure skating."

Good answer, thought Yuna. But, this was a public forum, and the girl would be thought of as bratty, whiny, immature.

But then, Adelina was just a girl, after all.

"Did you think you had a shot at getting gold?"

Adelina shrugged. "Every athlete dreams of winning gold. I was lucky I was able to finish my program without any further mistakes."

Yuna didn't watch Adelina's performance, so she didn't know what happened.

Another reporter asked "That step-out after the 3F-2T-2L wasn't much of a mistake, though. How did you feel after that?"

Adelina answered "Awful. But I had to smile through it and keep going."

"We all thought you were injured when you slipped after the step sequence. Despite the mistakes, you were able to stand on the podium with Yuna Kim and Carolina Kostner. How do you feel about your placement and your Olympic bronze medal?"

Taking a deep breath Adelina said "First off, I am happy with my placement. It is my Olympic debut, and nothing can take away from skating in my country for my country. I did the best I could, and because of that, I was able to stand on the podium with two of the greatest figure skaters in the ladies' division. So congratulations to Queen Yuna and Carolina Kostner for everything."

At this, Carolina smiled at her, and Yuna nodded to her respectfully.

"I'm confused, Ms. Sotnikova. In competitions, there is only one winner. You were not given the gold medal, it is with someone else. Why congratulate your opponent when victory was in your grasp?"

Adelina frowned at this. "It is true that there can only be one winner in a competition. However, I congratulate Carolina, for her performances were so beautiful. Am I not allowed to like it? And as for Yuna Kim...did you know that because of her, I was able to participate in the Youth Olympics in 2012? I earned Olympic silver, by the way. So of course, naturally, I congratulate Yuna Kim. It is because Russia has such strong opponents that I've had the opportunity to grow and take part in the Olympics - two of them, in fact. God has blessed me with health. I have no complaints."

"Very true. Your family watched you skate. What do you intend to do after this?"

Adelina said "I will show my family my medal. I'll put it around my sister's neck. I dedicate my win to her."

Hearing this, Yuna was touched.

There were calls for one more question, and this time, a reporter asked Sotnikova "What is your plan after this Olympics? Will you continue?"

Adelina said "I intend to. It would be great to compete in Pyeongchang, God willing."

The questions went back to Yuna. "Ms. Kim, since you've helped your country successfully win a bid to hold the next Games, what do you think of Adelina Sotnikova's chances?"

Yuna said "May I first congratulate Adelina for making it on the podium with me and Carolina Kostner? She is young, and she has much time to grow and gain more experience before 2018. Already, she is very mature and has a good attitude towards competition. With hard work and dedication, commitment, good health and love for skating, she will definitely make it to come to Pyeongchang."

Everyone clapped at this.

Then Adelina spoke up. "Ms. Kim, may I ask you a question?"

This surprised Yuna, Carolina and everyone else in the room. Yuna said "Yes?"

"I know I have much to improve on. What can I can do to become Olympic champion like you?"

Now this was unexpected. Yuna gave a pause, the cameras flashing at them, the recorders taping.

Then Yuna spoke. "I watched your competitions. Your one spin - the unique one - I would not be able to do. Honestly, I am not a coach, so I cannot comment. When I was with Brian Orser, I was told to work on my skating skills. I thought 'Why? I have all my jumps, save for the triple Axel. Why do I need to learn how to skate when I am skating?'. It wasn't until after my first Olympic gold medal that skating skills are the foundations for technique, for jumping and spinning and everything else. Looking back, I realize how right he is, and how young I really was. Because we are female, our bodies change, so skating skills are really important. This is really all I can say."

A ping was heard, and finally, someone said "That's all the time we have. The Sochi Olympic medallists are tired, so let's give them space. The medal ceremony is tomorrow..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuna Kim's original layout, I think, would have gotten a bit over her Vancouver WR by at least a good point or two. Here, the layout was changed, but I'm not showing it here. That's for a different chapter and time. Next will be Javier's moment. Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Javier gets himself a medal, and more attention that he previously thought he would.

Javier Fernandez wasn't sure if he was dreaming.

Somehow, he had gotten second place in the Free program, and won a spot on the podium. He didn't quite remember skating to Harlem Nocturne. He still felt Yuna's kiss on his cheek, changing his mood and overall attitude going into competition. When he thought about the Vancouver 2010 ladies' champion, Javier thought of her Bond program. He had watched it after going to Brian. He had to learn about his new coach, after all. Yuna Kim was truly unique. She had truly embodied the Bond girl - flirty, sexy, vivacious, deadly accurate and precise in her skating.

With him doing Harlem Nocturne, Javier thought of her. He realized that he himself needed to embody his character. If Yuna was the ultimate Bond girl, then Javier Fernandez would reflect a dark night in Harlem. He would make Peter Gunn proud.

But more, he would keep his promise to Yuna.

Somehow, he managed the triple Axel-triple toe loop in the beginning half of the program. Then came the step sequence, which gave his ankles a rest from all the jumping. He danced to the beat of Harlem's night life, the dangers there, and Javier laughed into the dark abyss of it all. Harlem was his city, he was Harlem, and he would not be afraid of a little danger. So, he responded by entering into the hardest element, his combo -

Quad toe, euler, triple flip...

He did it!

He didn't hear the volume of the crowd as he went into the last 20 something seconds of his program.

Then it was over, and Javier felt the exhaustion catch up to him.

Brian and Tracy were there besides him, as well as the Spanish official who came with him.

Hearing his scores, Javier was overwhelmed.

Despite having messed up in the short program, he managed to grab a solid second place, next to Yuzu! All that was left was to wait for Patrick and Denis to skate.

Javier met Yuzuru in the back with a high five.

Yuzuru was ecstatic. "Javi, we on podium for sure!"

Javier grinned. "Don't jinx us. Patrick and Denis still need to skate."

And then they waited. Javier knew that Yuzuru was guaranteed the gold, but he wasn't so sure of himself. Patrick was in second in the short program, and Denis was nipping at Javier's heels. Anything could happen.

When Patrick came to join them, Javier held out his hand. "Hey Patrick, you made it!"

The Chinese-Canadian man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Thanks, Javi. We should all get out there for the podium."

It was then that Javier learned he earned his first medal - Olympic bronze.

Javier was in a daze. Did he really do that?

That meant that his quad combo had propelled him above Patrick's mistakes in the free. He and Yuzu had watched in the back. Javier had winced at Patrick's falls. Yuzuru commented "He was in second in short program. Maybe he nervous?"

Javier said "I don't know. But I hope he doesn't take it too hard."

It was the best feeling to be standing next to Yuzuru, his rinkmate and rival, as well as share the podium with Patrick Chan. Javier had finally gotten an Olympic medal, the first for his country. He kept his promise to Yuna, and now he could show her his medal. Surely, she would do better than him and get that second gold medal.

Then came the press conference.

He was glad that the press focused on Yuzuru and Patrick, the two male skaters slated for gold. Javier was so tired. The season had been draining. Now, he just wanted to go to his hotel room and sleep all night and the next day.

Then came the questions aimed at him.

"Mr. Fernandez, you have won Spain its first Olympic medal in figure skating. How do you feel?"

Javier smiled. "Great! I was shocked at getting my first Olympic medal. I worked so hard to get here, I want to thank my family for supporting me, Brian, Tracy and everyone at TCC. Yuzu, too, for coming and training with me, and Patrick, for being the man to chase after. Being on the podium with two of the best male skaters in the world has made me stronger."

"The combo you put in the last half of your program was really something. How did you think of that?"

"I talked it over with my coach. After all, I was behind in the Short program. It was decided I had to make up for that loss, and the 4T-euler-3F came to mind."

"Congratulations Mr. Fernandez, Spain is blessed to have you."

"Thank you."

"Is it true that you and Kim Yuna are together?"

At this question, Javier's eyes bugged out.

Yuzuru and Patrick turned to him, in shock and bewilderment.

Javier had not anticipated this. He caught Brian's eyes, and the Canadian two time Olympic silver medalist made a side motion going, as if to shake his head 'No'.

Outwardly, Javier pulled on his affability and manners. "I am not, and I'm sure that Ms. Kim hasn't heard of such a thing."

"There are photos of you two leaving the ice rink after midnight with your coaches. How did you two meet?"

Damn it, who saw them? Javier didn't dare look at Brian or Tracy. Shit. He had thought the reporters would bash him over his careless remarks over the LGBTQ community and Russia's anti-gay laws. That had been hell. But thanks to Brian, it was smoothed over. On the other hand, Javier wasn't stupid enough to think that the media had forgotten. Brian had gone over with him how to handle the media if they brought it up again, but Javier was utterly blindsided with this particular issue.

Issue? It was no issue that he and Yuna Kim had been at the same ice rink for some time alone. Crap. Now the Korean media would be after him for tainting their Queen.

Pulling on his first Olympic experience, Javier said "I met Yuna in Vancouver. It's been a while since we've seen each other."

He prayed to God that Yuna not be angry with him. Javier didn't want this particular piece of gossip to stress her out before she was to compete in a couple of days. He really needed to speak to her after this.

"So you two met in Vancouver? Is that when your relationship started?"

Javier kept his lips sealed over his gritted teeth. He spoke as calmly as he could. "Yuna and I are friends, nothing more. Please don't make any such insinuations about other skaters."

"Yuna Kim is known for her textbook jumps. Especially for the Lutz and Flip. Did you put together your combination as a tribute to the Queen?"

Now, this question wasn't so bad. Javier raised his brow slightly. "I'm flattered that the last part of my combo is good enough to be thought of as a 'tribute'. Yuna Kim's toe jumps are fantastic, and on par with the men. If she saw, I'll be sure to ask her if she thought my triple Flip was like hers."

There was some laughter in the room. Good, Javier had defused the pressure a bit.

"Mr. Fernandez, Yuna Kim will be skating in a few days. Do you think she will win gold?"

Javier found he had no doubts, and he wasn't irritated with this questions at all. "I don't think so. I know she'll win gold. Yuna Kim is a talent seen only once in a century."

"That is very true. The next Olympics will be in South Korea, and that is because of Yuna Kim. Will you be competing there, Mr. Fernandez?"

This made Javier pause. In truth, he never really thought about the future. "It's too early to say. I just won my first Olympic medal. I am happy right now."

"The ladies' events will be starting soon. Will you be watching the event?"

What kind of question was this?

Javier said "It would be a pleasure."

\------------------------------

Later, he wondered if he had talked for too long.

Usually, the gold medallist was the one the reporters were all over.

He was pretty sure Patrick was pissed at him, getting Olympic silver instead of becoming Canada's first man to win gold. Instead, Yuzuru dashed his hopes. Then, his friend Javier was seen to have been spotted with his crush, Yuna Kim. 

It was understandable that Patrick didn't speak to him the whole time after.

But Yuzu...

Yuzuru was strangely silent.

Javier spoke up "Hey, you did it, Yuzu. You are Olympic champion, just like you dreamed of."

Yuzuru smiled. "And Javi got Olympic medal, just like you always wanted. I'm glad you are here with me, Javi. I could not do without you."

"You did it all on your own, Yuzu. You took it upon yourself to go to Brian to train in Toronto."

"Because of you. Because I want to train with Javier Fernandez. Brian only let me come because you say so."

Javier smiled. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Meeting you changed everything."

"Changed my life. I owe everything I win to you."

Shaking his head, Javier said "You owe me nothing. Friends don't owe each other anything."

Before he left to go to his room, Yuzuru asked "Javi will compete in Pyeongchang, yes?"

Javier turned, blinking. "What?"

"In four years. In South Korea. I compete there to win second gold medal. Javi come too, right?"

Quirking the right corner of his lips, he said "It's too early to say, Yuzu. We just made the podium here."

"Javi will come, right?"

Sighing, Javier said "When I'm rested and ready, I'll tell you. Ok? Get some rest, champ. I know you have a bunch of things to do for Japan, now that they have their first ever male Olympic champion."

\------------------------------

Javier ended up flying back to Spain during the week to take care of some media obligations of his own.

He arrived in Madrid to crowds waving the Spanish flag, posters saying "Vamos, Javi!" and of course, people wanting for him to give autographs. Javier couldn't be more happier. He signed as many pictures, magazines, and other things he could before a bunch of military guys came to form ranks around him.

Later, Javier learned they were sent from His Majesty. The royal family greeted him and congratulated him for the service he has done for Spain. Javier knelt in front of the Crown princess, who put around his head the laurel crown, kissed the hand of the young Infanta, swore fealty to Her Majesty the Queen and was given a special order from the King himself to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.

The minister of sport greeted him warmly, and Javier was able to talk about his dream to build a school in Spain for future figure skaters. He met the Queen Mother, who invited him to watch the latest football game. She asked "Do you want to watch the World Cup, Javier?"

Javier answered honestly "It would be the best thing to happen to me since winning my first Olympic medal, my lady. However, the tickets are very expensive, and I don't think I'd be able to go."

"Is that so? Well, don't worry. I'll talk to my son about arranging something for you. Your family must be so proud, and we are too."

Once the round of interviews with the media and talking to sponsors was finished, Javier caught a plane to go back to Sochi, Russia.

He had to watch the ladies' events, after all.

\------------------------------

Javier barely had time to get to watch the ladies' Free skate.

He heard the crowd go wild, then go silent, then stomp and thunder once again.

Once in the stands, he heard some say "Too bad Lipnitskaia fell. She was so close to winning gold-"

"Mao Asada really made it back into the top 5. She could make the podium here!"

"Sotnikova is in second after the short. She's close to Yuna Kim-"

Javier's heart was in his throat as he kept his hood over his head.

Yuna's performance was the last one. He knew she could win, but did she hear about the tabloids about herself and him? How they were seen? Javier didn't want this to affect her in any way. There was no way to talk to her now.

It was hard, but after Yuna made it to the Kiss and Cry, Javier felt relieved.

She was finished, and now, all that was left was for the scores to come up.

"Yuna Kim of the Republic of Korea has earned in the Free program..."

It took forever for the announcer to give the scores.

Javier knew that the judges had something to do with it. The technical panel, as well. He had a good view of Yuna's performance. Her 3F-euler-3S had been perfect. For them to ignore such a feat would be criminal. There were thousands of people watching. Surely, they couldn't put this at a 0.

"156.65. A new season's best for Yuna Kim of the Republic of Korea. She is currently in first place."

At first, there was only silence.

Javier could practically hear the frustration of the Russian judges, and the crowd...most likely they couldn't take it that a foreign woman from a small federation with no experience in figure skating had just won on their home ice. It was delicious satisfaction to know that they couldn't cheat Yuna out of her much deserved, final gold medal.

Then the volume turned up.

Javier heard screams, cries, moans, and chants.

He didn't hear them above his own cry of victory.

After he had finished rooting, he looked around them and saw the different countries standing up and chanting "QUEEN YUNA!" over the people who cried "RUSSIA!". Indeed, Javier noticed how many Russians were rooted to their seats. The judges and the tech panel, as well, seemed to not move.

Probably they were in shock that Yuna Kim had done the unexpected and went against their plan. Javier felt more vindicated as the chants of "Queen Yuna" overpowered the audience's cries for their home country. Many other people ran down the stairs to throw stuffed animals and flowers and other things on the ice. It was utterly astounding to see crowds of people from different countries other than South Korea rise up and chant for Yuna Kim.

While there were some Russians who did clap and smile and cheer for the winner, Javier noticed that many other Russians sat back, still in frozen shock at how the Queen had conquered their territory in four minutes.

Knowing that Yuna was too humble to do so (in front of the cameras, anyways), Javier savored this moment as if he had won the gold medal.

\------------------------------

At the gala, Javier was able to talk to Yuna.

Skating towards her, he said "Congratulations to my favorite double Olympic champion! I knew you could do it."

Yuna blushed. "Oh, Javi, you're too kind. I wish I could have watched you compete and podium."

Javier smiled. "Yuna, if you haven't heard about the latest gossip about us-"

"I'm so sorry about that, Javi."

They both paused.

Javier took her in a dance hold. "So you've heard."

Yuna leaned closer to him, speaking into his ear while smiling to the other skaters "Someone saw us leaving the ice rink at night. At the press conference, a reporter brought it up. They think that you and I are dating."

Javier grinned. "So we are. Patrick won't talk to me. He's jealous of me."

"And people are now thinking that we may have conspired to help each other."

"Was it the 3F-euler-3S that showed my mark on you?"

Amused, Yuna said "It was the 4T-euler-3F for you, wasn't it?"

"I had to pay tribute to you, mi reina. You are known for the Flip and Lutz. I could only put on the 3F at the end instead of the 3Lz. The lutz is beyond my ability."

This made Yuna laugh. "Oh Javi, you're too much."

"Yuzu won't talk to me, either. I think he's mad that I got to meet you first. He's pretty introverted, so maybe after this, you'll dance with him, too? I know he's a fan of you. He wants to be like you and win another Olympic gold medal."

Yuna pulled away. "I'll be sure to divide my time evenly among all my friends."

With that, both separated to skate with other people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember the men's free at Sochi 2014. Javier was so close to getting his first Olympic medal. Then again, I wonder if he would have stayed in competition if he had. What would be his motivation? 
> 
> As for his new layout, even with the 4T-lo-3F, Javi's skating at this point isn't like Yuzuru's or Patrick's. He has room to grow and become even better, so Olympic bronze is good (my first draft of this chapter, he had Olympic silver).


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for the future, a backstage kiss, and a happy ending to Sochi 2014. 
> 
> Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have forgotten to total Yuna's scores in the last chapter. Should I do the same for Javier?

_She had heard the announcer's voice in the arena, but the audience around her had gotten up in arms and screamed over her free program score. She almost didn't hear her overall total score._  


" _Yuna Kim of the Republic of Korea has earned in the Free program...156.65, new season's best for her."_  


" _Her total score is 231.57. She is currently in first place."_  


The crowd just wouldn't decrease the volume ("ROSSI-YA!" "KOREA!!" "QUEEN YUNA!"). She had learned a long time ago how to tune out a crowd and focus on what she needed to do. Right now, she did her best to look as dignified, gracious and respectful of being Sochi Olympic champion, a two-time defending Olympic champion, having earned her right to another gold medal. As the ladies' Olympic champion of 2014, Yuna hugged Carolina, congratulating her for her win. Then when it came time to turn to Adelina, Yuna heard the crowd jeer.

Yuna had known that the Russians had wanted one of their own to be on the podium. It would not have surprised her if the Russians did not like her or her performances. The Queen kept her composure and smiled at Adelina, gave her a handshake and a hug. Keeping her head up was important, Yuna knew.

She was not afraid of what the crowd - and the Russian audience - had to say.

Yuna had had the support of the best people she knew. They knew her, knew her quality and did their best for her, and in turn, Yuna turned out her best for them.

It was not arrogant to say that Yuna Kim deserved her gold medal. She knew she was the best. Had proven herself over years to get to where she was now.

So what if the wrong lady won?

The answer, she found, was rather unexpected.

After the gala, Javier told her. "You were great. The crowd loved you."

Yuna smiled. "You're being kind. I know the Russians wanted their own girl to win. I heard the crowd during the podium ceremony."

Javier blinked. "What about that?"

"The crowd did not cheer for me. I knew they wanted Sotnikova to win gold. They jeered when I went to give her a hug."

The Sochi Olympic Bronze medallist gaped at her before shaking his head. He quirked a corner of his mouth. "Uh, Yuna, I don't know if you've heard, but it wasn't you the Russian crowd was jeering at. It was Adelina."

Yuna stared. "What?"

"You weren't part of the whole spectacle behind the Russian judges politicking. There were two Russian teenagers in the whole group, right? Yulia and Adelina. Yulia did well in the Team Event. Sotnikova wasn't even in it."

Yuna said "I wasn't in the Team Event either."

"Yeah, well. The Russians were pinning all their hopes on Yulia to win. But she ended up falling in the long program. Sotnikova was their last resort, and she wasn't really their pick to win, or even make it to the last group. I know they tried pumping up her scores to at least get her within the top 3. Ridiculous. Then, she flopped, too."

Clicking her tongue, Yuna said "They're both so young. Can't the media leave them alone?"

Javier said "From what I've heard, Sotnikova's scores were not above the other girls like Wagner or Gold. A lot of other people said that Gold did a better job in the free, despite her one fall. Then there's the fact that Mao came back in the Free."

Yuna blinked. "Are the Russians angry that the wrong girl won?"

"Yes. It wasn't supposed to be Sotnikova. Though, some Russians are happy that at least one of their girls made it to the podium on home ice. They wanted Yulia to be on the podium, or even Mao."

This made Yuna shook her head. "I really don't see why they have to jeer their own countrywoman. She skated the best she could. We don't control the judges. Or the scoring."

Javier shrugged. "People like who they like, what can I say?"

"Adelina Sotnikova has a very good chance of going to Pyeongchang."

"That depends. There are a bunch of Russian junior girls coming up, and they're just as talented, if not more so, than Yulia Lipnitskaia."

Yuna said "Well, how they'll fare on the senior circuit remains to be seen."

\------------------------

The dress rehearsal was more or less much like after her step-off of the podium.

Everyone wanted to talk to her. Everyone wanted to skate with her. Everyone wanted to pose for pictures with the newly minted two-time consecutive Olympic gold medallist. So Yuna, being the generous soul she was, took pictures with the other medallists, and not just those who won gold. Javier had won Olympic bronze, just like Michelle Kwan had. And earning only Olympic bronze, like Adelina Sotnikova had, was no reason not to celebrate.

She shook hands, congratulated everyone else on their wins, and danced with other guys that weren't Javier Fernandez.

Patrick blushed when she congratulated him for winning silver. His skating skills, she noted, were the best of all the men's. Mimicking ice-dancing with him was quite pleasant. Patrick had excellent rhythm and smooth edging, which she complimented him on. He was flustered. "I have a lot to improve on."

"We all do. My flexibility isn't great like Mao's, and my body positions like my back and toes don't acquire the stretch that yours do."

He blushed before bowing as she left to speak to the other skaters.

It was quite easy to congratulate both Yulia Lipnitskaia and Adelina Sotnikova. Yuna had a feeling she would be seeing more of them in the future. She said "Ah, the future of Russia. I look forward to seeing you in Pyeongchang."

Both girls smiled and nodded profusely.

She shook hands with Charlie, Scott, Tessa and Meryl. She also met with the pair skaters and ice dancers, congratulating them on their wins.

The last person (not Javier) to spend time with was Yuzuru Hanyu.

This was Brian Orser's youngest, most talented student, Japan's first male Olympic gold medallist.

Javier spoke of him highly. "He's fiercely talented like you, Yuna. When he was younger, he said, he said he watched you. Now I'm not sure if he'll approach you and say so, but I know he admires you and lists you amongst his favorite idols."

Yuna smiled. "And you are Hanyu Yuzuru-san. I've heard so much about you. Shouri omedetou gozaimasu."

The Japanese Olympic champion bowed. "Shouri omedetou gozaimasu, Kim Yuna-senshu. You win two Olympic gold medals. You are the best."

"I am only glad that my performances were enjoyable to everyone. The color of the medal, to me, comes second."

The younger Olympic champion said "I want win another gold medal, like Kim-san. I make many mistake in long program. So I will compete again in Pyeongchang."

Yuna smiled. "I see. Well, I will look forward to your being there, Hanyu-senshu. Congratulations again. Japan has many talented skaters."

He bowed to her, and Yuna went to find Javier.

The Spanish Olympic medallist was speaking to one of the Canadians. He turned, saw her and smiled. He waved to her.

Yuna skated over. "I haven't had the time to talk to you yet."

Javier said "Of course. Excuse me, guys."

Aware of all the other eyes on them, Javier offered his arm, and Yuna easily put her arm around it. Skating together, she said "I texted you earlier, but I want to say it in person. Congratulations on your Olympic bronze, Javier. You are one of the winners of the men's event."

"Thank you. But I'm not the Olympic champion."

"No. In the beginning of the original Olympic games, silver was the medal that was given to the winners. Bronze medallists were runner-ups. Honestly, with all the pageantry that goes on in these Games, the rankings could be like the Miss Universe contests."

"Like, if the winner gets sick or something, the next in line takes over for the winner's duties?"

" I'm going to propose something of the like to the IOC."

"Good luck with that. Those old fogies can't change for the life of them."

Yuna said "Change will take time, yes. But that doesn't mean there can't be a start."

Javier nodded. "Well said, Ms. Olympic ambassador. So, did you talk to Yuzu?"

"Yes. He's very determined to win a second OGM. Will you go to Pyeongchang, too?"

Javier blinked. "I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Well, if you decide to visit South Korea, text me, and I'll be happy to give you a tour of Seoul."

She unlinked her arm from his, skating besides him. Javier saw the other skaters watching them. He had a feeling they were trying to see how he managed to attract Yuna Kim, the greatest ladies' skater of their time. It would be futile to keep saying 'We're just friends' after the debacle at their respective press conferences. He said to her "I don't know. I have a feeling your fans might throw rotten cabbages at me."

Yuna sighed. "I really messed up the press conference. I'm sorry, Javi."

"I'm sorry, too. I told them we haven't seen each other in a while-"

"I said since Vancouver."

He raised his brows at her. "You remember me being there?"

"Of course I do. You were the first Spanish male skater to qualify and participate at Vancouver."

Javier blushed. "I wasn't very good."

"You made it to the Olympics. That in itself is an impressive feat. You came back four years later, and look at you! It goes to show that training in the right place with the right coach makes a big difference."

He nodded. "Brian helped me. And Yuzu. Like you, he's going to win a second OGM. You two are phenoms."

"Again, I had support and the right coaches."

Javier smiled and was about to skate away, thinking she was done with him. Yuna said "If you're not doing anything during the summer, you can join me for All That Skate."

His eyes widened. "What? All That Skate?"

"Yes. It's my ice show in South Korea. Are you thinking of having one? I know you'd do a great job attracting other figure skaters to Spain. Then I could come visit you sometime?"

Javier looked shy all of a sudden. "That-that would be great. But you're the double Olympic champion. Wouldn't it be better if you invited Yuzuru or Tessa and Scott?"

"I'll send invitations to whoever is available, not just gold medallists. Really, Javi, I can't forget you. I don't want to."

His smile was brighter than the lights in the stadium. "I'd be happy to. And yes, of course, come to Madrid! I'll come to pick you up at the airport myself."

Yuna realized she must've been smiling for too long for too real in front of everyone, because Javier said to her while grinning ear to ear "I think you should go skate with Yuzu, now. He's too polite to demand your attention, but I know he wants to try a triple Flip or Lutz with you."

They parted ways on the ice then, Yuna to skate with her fellow Olympic gold medallist, and Javier to speak to Carolina Kostner and the other Russian ladies.

\------------------------

Despite doing perfect side-by-side triple Lutzes with Yuzuru Hanyu, Yuna found she would rather have tried the triple Flip with Javier Fernandez.

She thought that Hanyu was better off doing his triple Axel with Mao Asada.

The dress rehearsal went more or less as it was meant to, and after, the rest of the skaters goofed off. Javier liked to hang around the other guys and socializing. He had a warm presence that people were drawn to, and there was nothing forced or scripted in his manners. From what she heard, Javier wasn't as hungry for medals as his rinkmate was, but he was as talented as he was kind and generous. That he was handsome helped, and Yuna saw in him the perfect Christian man.

She found herself wanting to spend more time with him, once there was opportunity.

Yuna loved his humorous exhibition. She was sure she wanted Javier Fernandez in her ice show in the summer in Korea. The audience would enjoy his performance.

Yuzuru Hanyu, she found, was extraordinarily gifted. Probably, more so than she and Javier combined. He had the flexibility of Mao and the technique and power given by Brian to her. When thinking of inviting him, Yuna wondered if Hanyu would be more inclined to stay in Japan to be celebrated. There was also Mao's ice show there, as well as Fantasy on Ice. Would he consider coming to South Korea?

Javier Fernandez and Yuzuru Hanyu, two of Brian's most talented students, both Olympic medallists in Sochi. It would certainly be interesting.

When the song 'Imagine' started, Yuna thought of her duties as an ambassador. Yes, bringing together people was what she did. Having Javier in her show would be the highlight of her days before she would be buried in paperwork, sponsors, interviews, media obligations as well as meeting with the IOC. And Yuzuru Hanyu...

Javier did say that he was more interested in skating than politics. He said "The two of you would be able to make your countries be friends, I bet. Just 'imagine', get it?"

Ah, Javier. Well, Yuna, thought, why not? If the boy wanted to follow her trail of Olympic gold medals, who was she to say no?

Hadn't she met Javier Fernandez for the first time in Sochi, followed a suggestion that was risky to her program, and made an important friend for life?

Would it be too much to want for more?

She finished her exhibition and went back to the boards. Seeing Adelina coming out in her bright costume and two apparatuses, Yuna smiled and nodded to her. The Olympic bronze medallist in the ladies' division beamed before leaving for the ice.

Finding Javier wasn't hard. He was putting away his skates in a bag.

She greeted him "Hi."

He smiled. "Greetings, mi reina. You skated beautiful. Everyone was mesmerized by you."

"I'm glad you liked it. Your exhibition was very entertaining. The other skaters were able to relax because of you."

Javier chuckled. "Glad to be of service, Your Majesty. So, what can I do for you?"

"I was thinking we could go over plans for All That Skate. Do you have time?"

He stood up. "For you, of course. I don't speak Russian, so I don't know any good places to take you for a cup of coffee or tea."

Yuna said "I'm sure we can figure something out."

It was a good thing they were backstage, away from everyone else.

Both skaters were close enough to each other to touch each other's faces. The warmth of Javier's eyes and his smile, the way he held her on the ice, firm but gentle - it was harder than skating on her injuries not to get closer to him. Javier himself didn't seem to back away or freeze. There was interest in him for her, she knew, and Yuna was glad that her bodyguards and coaches were not here with her now.

She said quietly "I never got the chance to thank you for everything you've done."

"It was all you, mi reina. You had it in you all along."

"But you came and showed me the light. And so I am grateful for you, Javier Fernandez."

She did not need to imagine what to do next.

Yuna touched his cheek with her right hand, left hand cradling the other cheek, tilted her chin up to kiss him.

Javier was surprised, but accepted her token of thanks with appreciation. His hands were on her waist for a few seconds.

Pulling away, they couldn't help but smile, a hint of bashfulness on their faces.

"Javi..."

It would have been a sweeter moment if not for the interruption that came after.

Javier realized that Yuna hadn't spoken. She must've realized it too, because both turned to the person standing a few feet away.

Yuzuru Hanyu was in his EX costume still, eyes wide.

It was a bit embarrassing to be caught like this, and if this has been her coaches or the media, Yuna would have been mortified. But it was only Yuzuru Hanyu, her fellow Olympic champion, and Javier's friend. If anything, he must have been embarrassed, having happened upon an intimate moment. Being East Asian, Yuna knew that their people weren't into public displays of affection. He must have been shocked out of his mind.

Javier cleared his throat, stepping forward, making sure that he was shielding Yuna.

It was so sweet of him to try and protect her, she thought. He was truly a knight in shining armor.

He said "Ah, Yuzu. Is everyone's EXs over?"

The Japanese teenager said "Yes. We go and take bows now."

Javier nodded. "Alright. Thanks for telling us. Go ahead. We'll catch up."

Yuzuru looked doubtful. He seemed to want to say something else, but shook his head and left.

Turning to Yuna, he said "I'll talk to Yuzu about this. Don't worry, he's not a snitch. The media and the other skaters won't hear about this."

Yuna smiled. "I'm not worried. Not when I'm with you."

Javier returned her smile and bowed, gesturing with his hands "After you, mi reina."

Instead of walking head, Yuna took his hand. This jolted Javier.

Back on the ice, they were in the spotlight, holding the hands of other skaters next to them.

Smiling at the audience, all the skaters at the exhibition bowed.

Yuna felt like her dream of a world united, like in John Lennon's song, happened on this night.

Javier knew he was being favored by so many people. He was happy, content and for once, felt like there was no more burden since coming to Sochi.

Both felt that they could retire in peace.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The work of an Olympic champion is never finished. Yuna sets time aside to visit Javi in Toronto, Canada, and everyone is thrilled. 
> 
> Or not.

Yuzuru Hanyu had went to find his friend and rinkmate after watching the last skater's exhibition.

He looked around, but didn't see Javi in his grey hoodie or bright red sneaker-skates. Had Javi gone to the restroom? Over five minutes passed, and Yuzuru thought something was wrong. All the skaters needed to be on the ice to take their bows together, to say goodbye to Sochi. They would be holding hands and all that nonsense. Yuzuru wanted to be next to Javier, his best friend and fellow Olympic medallist when it came down to it. He didn't mind holding the other skater's hands (well, save for Patrick; he didn't like Yuzuru, liked Javi and worshipped Yuna Kim), but Javier he wanted there for familiarity, for security, for warmth-

If Javier didn't come, Yuzuru wasn't sure what he would do.

So Yuzuru left the arena to search for his friend.

He didn't have to go far.

There was someone's voice in the hallway, answered by someone with a deeper tone. Was that Javi?

Yuzuru walked a bit faster, and heard Yuna Kim speaking.

"-you showed me the light. And so I am grateful for you, Javier Fernandez."

He did not expect to find the heavenly, blue-clad Yuna Kim to touch his rinkmate with such tenderness and reach up to kiss him.

Yuzuru froze.

Javi said that he and Yuna Kim were just friends.

What were they doing in a hallway, alone, without any bodyguards of the Queen?

Didn't Javi have a girlfriend? But no, he broke up with that Courtney girl a while ago...

Yuzuru felt like the moment was too long. He decided to speak up.

His voice went out in a croak, which he was mortified at. "Javi..."

That was when they turned to look at him.

Yuna Kim did not look the least bit embarrassed to be seen kissing his rinkmate.

Javier, on the other hand, was flustered. He stepped forward in front of Yuna Kim, and asked him if all the EXs were done. Yuzuru nodded, and Javier said to go on ahead.

What?

Javier said "We'll catch up."

Yuzuru cursed himself for being so slow. He didn't exactly want to go, but he didn't want to see more kissing by this particular couple either.

They weren't even a couple. What was Javi doing? More importantly, what was Yuna Kim doing with Javi?

Yuzuru had his misgivings about the Queen then. Double Olympic champion, yes.

Javi's new potential girlfriend?

Yuzuru couldn't fathom it. There was no way.

He hoped that there would be more time to talk to Javi later. Yuzuru wanted Javier Fernandez in his life. He wanted Javier to come with him to Pyeongchang. Javier's answer to him was not the most encouraging. Yuzuru's hyperactive mind went over the scene earlier. Javier and Yuna Kim? Together?

It was known that Yuna Kim had finished her competitive career at Sochi.

And Javier...

He won an Olympic bronze medal, which was great, and Yuzuru was so happy for him.

Javier hadn't said he would go to Pyeongchang.

Yuzuru felt cold.

He wasn't going to retire, was he? Javi was too young! At the same time, Javier wasn't interested in being Olympic champion, like Yuzuru. Why would Javier Fernandez need to go to another Olympics, anyways? Yuzuru didn't want that his friend retire. Please not yet, he prayed.

Then he realized that Yuna Kim would be likely to want to be around Javier more.

Her brazen actions proved to Yuzuru that she was more than interested in Javi.

If Javier retired, she would have the most access to him.

Yuzuru's stomach clenched.

He needed to see Javi.

\------------------

Yuna Kim had returned back to South Korea in a trumpet of fanfare.

The streets of Seoul were full of crowds that were waving the flag of South Korea, cheering for her. "Kim Yeon-ah! Kim Yeon-ah!!"

She waved, smiled, and held up her Sochi Olympic gold medal. The crowd went wild. Her bodyguards formed a diamond around her, with the media flashing their cameras and yelling out questions "Kim Yeon-ah, what are your plans after winning your last Olympic gold medal?" "Kim Yeon-ah, the president has a present for you - a pure bred Korean dog! What will you name it?" "Kim Yeon-ah, please turn this way!"

Once in her limo, Yuna sighed and checked her cell phone. She needed to see any more text messages from her agency. Of course, her parents were ecstatic and congratulated her many times; as did her elder sister. Yuna would have to get them some new presents (besides a new apartment, pet, computer, amongst other things), as well as her coaching team. However, what she really wanted to see was whether Javier Fernandez had accepted her invitation to All That Skate later this year.

Of course, Revolution on Ice was also important, but Yuna needed to speak to her agency about that.

During a press conference in Seoul, Yuna had been made to bring her Vancouver gold medal as well (her mother had been driven to where she was, and told her "Here, you must bring the 2010 Olympic gold as well. Everyone wants to see you with both!"). It was proof of her triumphs at the greatest international competitions in the sporting world. Yuna thought of keeping them in a safe place, not a trophy case like her parents meant to display it. As a member of the IOC, as Youth Olympic ambassador, Yuna needed to capitalize off her medals (which were worth absolutely nothing - they weren't real gold) and give as much to the younger Korean upcoming skaters, as they were the future.

Sequestering herself in her high rise apartment in Seoul, Yuna fell back on her bed, looking up at the ceiling.

After taking care of business (her agency, media obligations, sponsors, planning for All That Skate which was due in a few months, IOC, her ambassador duties to UNICEF, scheduling a master class for the young Koreans, signing off on the special dog that the president was meant to present to her in a few weeks, amongst other things), she was too tired to fall asleep.

The only thing that kept her up was thinking of Javier Fernandez.

She wanted to contact him, but like her, he was most likely busy with duties in Spain. Javier had won his country's first Olympic medal in figure skating. From what he had told her, it didn't matter if he won gold or bronze. Proud they were of him, they didn't care for figure skating. Javier wanted to change that and do more for future skaters in his country. Yuna's admiration and respect grew for him, as did her affection.

Yuna then knew herself to be thoughtless.

Javier had helped her to win in Sochi, and she didn't even think about giving him a present. He was a fellow Olympic medallist - he deserved more, even if he had 'just' won bronze.

Vaguely, she wondered if he would be back at Toronto Cricket Club with Brian and Yuzuru Hanyu. Javier did not state his plans, whether he would stay or retire. He had said that he wanted to be a coach when he was finished competing. Yuna thought he would be one of the greats, like Brian Orser.

Brian, too, deserved something nice. Even if it wasn't his suggestion, he had been there for her, to make sure she didn't injure herself (again) doing a risky move on the ice.

Shin and Ryu would approve, she knew.

Yuna got up. She went to the table where her laptop was. Pulling the chair out, she sat down and booted her Apple book. Since Javier had given her his email (and she gave him hers), it would be easier to send him plans for their ice shows. Once that was done, Yuna felt satisfied. She took off her current outfit (an ironed white blouse, a gray pencil skirt, short-heeled Gucci shoes), put on a T-shirt and light blue sleeping pants. After doing her nightly ablutions, she went straight to sleep, dreaming of Spanish rays and knights in silvery-white armor.

\--------------------------

It was hard to get a day where Yuna wasn't meeting with some important figure, in South Korea or not. So far, besides the IOC and UNICEF, all the big name magazines wanted to interview her. Other organizations and businesspeople wanted her time. She had politely stated that she was no longer competing, that skating in shows and helping her fellow South Koreans was what she was doing (besides charity work). It was so bad, she had to fit in her own family for a half hour lunch.

Despite being a two-time Olympic gold medallist, Yuna Kim was still working and being worked for all she was worth.

Vaguely, she wondered if she was attracted to Javier because of his 'devil-may-care' attitude and sunny ways.

Then again, how could she complain? She was given so many opportunities not many in her country were given. She was blessed with talent in figure skating - her coaches had predicted it. She would not have the success she had and be able to do what she did, meet the people she did in order to become who she was now.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

She had read that last night in the Bible before falling asleep.

Checking her email, she saw an email from Javier at the top. Eager, she clicked on it.

"Hola, mi reina, I hope all is well for you. I've been swamped with work at home, even though I didn't win the gold at Sochi. I can only imagine how much more your workload is. Don't give up! I believe in you no matter what."

Yuna felt the exhaustion lift from her spirit.

Javier's message went on. "Of course I'll be able to attend All That Skate. I'll have my people call yours for Revolution, yeah? Also, I'll be doing a bit of mentoring at TCC besides training. My federation wants me to keep skating to encourage the other athletes at home, so I won't be leaving the senior circuit yet. Besides, Yuzu still wants to steal my quad Sal XD"

So Javier Fernandez was not yet going to retire. Why should he? Yuna thought he was still young. He was a man at the peak of his strength. She figured he could keep going for a few more years.

"Tessa and Scott are also doing their own ice show in Canada. Have you been invited? I know everyone wants you to light up their show. Though, you are South Korea's first Olympic champion AND double Olympic champion. You get to choose which country and show to grace them with your presence. If you're around Toronto, text me! I'll pick you up and we can hang out."

It felt so good to talk to someone who was normal. Not that that was a bad thing. Javier was not like anyone in her country, or on the senior circuit. He was a breath of fresh air. Yuna found that she would like to see him.

In Toronto, Canada.

The prospect of seeing Brian Orser again did not put distaste into her mouth, nor was she at all distressed at having to step into the halls of TCC for the first time in a long time.

Seeing Javier Fernandez and spending time with him (away from South Korea and the claustrophobic city) would be worth both her Olympic gold medals.

Checking her schedule for the next month, Yuna decided she would set aside at least a week for some 'privacy'. As Korea's first double Olympic champion, she was entitled to some time to herself.

\--------------------------

Even though Canada treated her well during her first Olympic cycle, Yuna Kim made sure to disguise herself.

It was all over the news that Yuna Kim had triumphed again at the Olympics. While no doubt the country would be all over Tessa and Scott, they had not forgotten Yuna Kim at all. The people, bless their hearts, had taken a young South Korean skater in and adopted her as one of their own. Yuna loved the Canadians for their kindness, generosity and fairness.

She had texted Javier that she would be in Toronto, but she didn't tell him when she would be arriving. She didn't want Javier to have to pick her up; it wasn't his responsibility. Yuna came on her own, without her bodyguards. Since retiring, she felt she was mature enough to look after herself. After all, she wasn't in South Korea.

Finding the way to TCC wasn't difficult; her new cell phone had GPS, and she paid cash to get on the bus and ride to the Cricket Club. She then texted Javier "Where are you?"

He texted her "Rinkside, TCC. Just text me when you're at the airport."

Yuna was not going to do that.

She kept the Maple Leafs cap on her head, sunglasses on her face as she entered TCC. Yuna wore a pink, baggy, hooded sweatshirt over black track pants and white Nikes. Seeing the receptionist, she said in perfect English "I'm here to see one of the skaters."

It was a good thing Canadians were so friendly. Yuna wasn't asked for an ID, which she was so grateful for. She walked towards the rink, where she saw several young skaters stroking on the ice. Tracy was leading the way, and Brian was to one side, talking to Ghislain.

She saw Javier several feet away from them, back to her, watching them.

Yuna stepped forward, making toward him in a few steps. Standing by him, she said "Hi, Javi."

Javier turned, and stared.

"Yuna?"

Everyone stopped and stared at them in turn.

Yuna took off her cap and sunglasses, smiling. "Hi."

It was foolish of her to announce her presence so brazenly.

But she wanted to see Javier very much. It was so good that he recognized her, even when she was wearing clothes that hid her figure and face.

Javier turned to her, and the group of skaters on the ice clamored for the boards.

Only when Brian barked at them did they stop. "I don't remember Tracy telling you all to get off the ice! Keep stroking or you're all off the ice for a week."

There were protest and groans, with the skaters saying "But it's Yuna Kim!"

Yuna smiled and waved. "Hi everyone. Don't mind me; please keep skating. I'm just here to visit for a bit."

David and Brian came over. David was utterly excited. "Yuna, you should've told me you were coming by!"

Brian greeted her more formally. "It's nice to see you, Yuna. How is everything going?"

Yuna winked at David and said "We'll talk more later." To Brian, she said "Busy. I've been working more than the first time I medaled at the Olympics. Like I said, I came to visit."

She didn't say she was here to see Javi especially.

Brian blinked. "Huh. Well, it's good to see you. If you need anything, just let me us know. Tracy will be off the ice soon, so you can talk to her as well."

She wondered if Brian suspected she omitted the truth. Both knew she wasn't here to see him or the rest of TCC. Yuna would have to give him something nice for all he had done for her, even keeping her secrets.

Then Ghislain came towards her, with Yuzuru Hanyu in tow.

She greeted him. "Hello, Ghislain."

"Yuna! Great to see you, my favorite double Olympic champion. You know, Brian still has your plaque up here. He'll not charge you a thing if you want it sent to back home. I bet your parents would love to have it."

Shaking her head, Yuna said "No. My medals are enough for my family to see. I'm glad that everyone still remembers me to keep my plaque up."

"Oh, Yuna, you're unforgettable! Brian would never take it off, even if he were to die, it would still remain up there."

Yuna clicked her tongue. "Please don't say that. Brian is the perfect picture of health. I'm glad to see the students here still following him."

"Aren't we all. Well, whatever you need, just ask, and you shall receive."

Yuzuru Hanyu, the first ever Japanese male Olympic gold medallist, inclined his head to her. Yuna smiled and nodded to him.

There was little to say to him, and he to her. She knew he had his training, and from what Javier had told him, Yuzuru Hanyu was hungry to train in quads. He would not stop until he did a perfect quad Salchow in competition, and she was no distraction to that goal.

Javier came to her. "Hey, whatever happened to the airport?"

She wagged her index finger at him. "I'm a big girl; I can get myself from place to place without a driver."

"Really. Without your coaches or bodyguards here?"

Yuna put her index finger to her lips. "I hope you don't tell Brian and the others."

"I won't. So, is there something you'd like to do while you're here?"

She said "If you're still working, I'll stay and watch. Otherwise, if you get done soon, maybe we could take a walk and just talk."

Javier smiled. "Sounds like a plan. I have an hour and a half left, so hang tight. We'll do something fun soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time getting back to this, what with school this year. The good thing about this pandemic is that I have a lot of time to think about where I want this story to go. I also had to backtrack and find where I had previously written for this chapter. Thus, the reason for such a late update. Happy Holidays!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yuna spends time with the TCC boys.

Once upon a time, Yuna Kim won her first Olympic gold medal in 2010 Vancouver, thanks to Brian Orser.

Then, they broke up. They had argued, and then went their separate ways, she back to South Korea, and Brian to coach his other students. Yuna proved she could still skate well an win gold with her old coaches, and Brian got two other phenomenal talents in Javier Fernandez and Yuzuru Hanyu.

No one knew the cause of their tumultuous and sudden break-up.

No one, but Brian Orser and Yuna Kim.

The Korean woman walked through the halls of TCC. Javier was skating on the ice with Yuzuru Hanyu, stroking together. She decided to see Javier later.

On the other hand, she had decided to see Brian alone.

The double Olympic silver medallist was sitting in a chair in his office, writing something at his desk. Yuna knocked twice.

Brian looked up, raised his brows a little, before nodding for her to come in.

Yuna went in.

He said "Good afternoon, Yuna. How's everything going?"

"Well. I've never had the chance to really experience Toronto, so I've went around and did some sight-seeing."

"I see. Did you find anything good? You could send some maple syrup back home."

Yuna said "Already did that."

He nodded. "That's good."

There was a dead pause in between.

Brian asked "What can I do for you?"

Yuna knew it was now or never. She hadn't really rehearsed anything. So she threw herself out there, the way she did in Vancouver. "There isn't anything you haven't done for me."

Brian was nonplussed.

She said "Even when I was no longer your student, you still came to help me."

Blue eyes widened a bit. "Javier helped you. I was just surprised that you were along without your coaches."

Yuna repeated herself. "You still came. To help me. I won my first Olympic gold medal because of you. I won my last Olympic medal because of you."

Brian cleared his throat. "You won because you finally grasped what 'performance' is. And it was the greatest performance in the history of Tangos. If anything, you should thank David."

"I've thanked David. Javier, too. I won because I had people who supported me, not because I did 7 triples."

"Your coaches did a superb job. I wish I could've done better."

Yuna shook her head. "You are doing a superb job - coaching the top two male skaters. Brian Orser, 1 and 3. Gold and bronze in Sochi."

"I like to think that maybe, I understand coaching now. Thanks to you."

Without words, they acknowledged each other's faults. Unlike the summer of 2010, they didn't shout or argue with bitter words against each other.

Yuna licked the inside of her lips before opening her mouth. "I should be asking you what I can do for you."

This made Brian blink. "Huh?"

"Brian, during the press conference after the Ladies' free skate, a reporter asked if I was dating Javier."

At this, Brian sighed. "Javier was asked the same thing during the Men's press conference."

"I am deeply sorry for that. It was my fault that Javier received so much gossip after his win. As the one with the most experience with the media, I should have been more careful about our surroundings that night."

Brian pinched his chin. "Actually, thanks to you, Javier received the best possible boost in performance during the Free skate. The media didn't throw the LGBTQ issue at his face. If anything, I should thank you for helping Javi. He wasn't in the best head space during the Short Program."

"Do you think he'll come to Pyeongchang?"

"He hasn't said anything about 2018, yet. But I do know he'd go if only to see you."

Yuna couldn't help but smile wide at this.

"He did tell me he's going to All That Skate this summer."

"Yes, I invited him and Hanyu-kun."

Brian chuckled. "You know, Yuzuru looks up to you. He's probably too shy to ask anything other than skating from you."

Yuna didn't get that impression from the Japanese boy when she was with him and Javier before. Instead, she said "He will be able to ask me whatever he likes in All That Skate this year. Though, Brian, maybe if Javier is with us at All That Skate, I could help mitigate some of the rumors about us."

"Rumors?"

"Other than us 'dating'. What have you heard?"

Brian counted his fingers. "You and Javier have been secretly dating before the start of Sochi. That you two met at Vancouver, confirmed by both of you during your press conferences. Javier helped you with your program, you gave your 'boyfriend' a kiss of victory, it's all a plot by Canada and South Korea, lalalalala."

Yuna said "No good deed goes unpunished. Others have been saying that you've been part of the coaching team all along."

"A plot by Canada and South Korea."

"You and Javier gave me unspecified drugs to pump me up for the free program."

"Again, a plot by Canada and South Korea. Too bad Tessa and Scott didn't win gold in Sochi."

Yuna said "Tessa and Scott will always be two-time Olympic champions to me. Everyone knows their quality. If they choose to retire, that's up to them."

"I believe that, too. I wouldn't worry too much about those romance rumors. I trust you."

Again, Yuna thanked Brian for his help before leaving him to his work.

What Yuna Kim did not realize was that the rumors had already reached an audience, and there would be hell to pay for not seeing the signs.

As Javier Fernandez considered continuing for another Olympic cycle, Yuzuru Hanyu watched and listened to everything about him - and that included the two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuna Kim of South Korea. 

\-------------------

Yuzuru Hanyu attempted the quad Sal over and over, only to fall more and more each time. Brian decided that he wouldn't do anymore jumps if he couldn't stop and rest. "Worlds is next month, Yuzu. Don't beat yourself up over one jump. Part of being an athlete - and champion - is knowing when to rest. It's just as important as when to train hard."

Fuming at himself, he sat on the bench and chugged some water from his canteen.

Going into lounge, he saw Javier and Yuna Kim sitting at a table, talking animatedly.

"You've been around Toronto?"

"Not really. I came here to train."

"Sounds a lot like Yuzu. But now that you're retired, you can finally see Toronto as a tourist. Let's go around town. I can take you out for lunch."

Yuna Kim smiled at this.

It was time Yuzuru make his presence be known. He walked in and said "Habi!"

Javier turned around, as did Yuna Kim. "Yuzu."

"Brian and Ghislain say I off ice for today. I can't jump 4S."

"That's rough, buddy. But hey, it'll be stable by next month. At Saitama."

Yuzuru nodded. "We both go to Worlds."

Javier agreed before turning back to Yuna. "Shall we?"

The Queen rose. "Lead the way, Javi."

Yuzuru knew he was interfering, and it was utterly rude to do so, but he asked "Where Habi going?"

Javier said "I'm going to show Yuna around Toronto. Like you, she's trained here, but not really seen the city. It's different from any other around the world."

"Really? Show Kim-san around Toronto? If only I know Toronto, too..."

Yuna surprised both males by saying "Maybe you'd like to come with us."

Yuzuru looked so hopeful, Javier couldn't say no. "See, this is what happens when you don't listen to Brian and Ghislain about jumping. You have to spend time with me."

\-------------------------------

At the cafe, when Yuzu went to the restroom, Javier said to Yuna "I'm sorry about this. I know I said I'd show you around Toronto, but I never expected Yuzu to come with us."

"It's ok. He's your friend, right?"

"Yes. Well, we're not best buddies, but we are friends. You probably didn't want to be bothered with another fan. Yuzuru has looked up to you since he was in Juniors. This may be his only chance to spend quality time with one of his idols."

Yuna smiled. "It's nice to be noticed. He looks up to you, too."

"He wants my quad Sal. Next to you, I'm superfluous."

"I highly doubt that. He came to Toronto because of you."

Javier blushed, knowing this to be true. Yuzuru was always watching him when he entered into his quad Sal. The Japanese boy disobeyed Brian and Tracy several times because he wanted to be able to do everything Javier did. So Javier told him "If you do what Brian tells you, I'll show you my quad Sal. Otherwise, I'll just stick to the quad Toe." And then Javier went off and did a perfect 4T-3T.

It had been an enlightening experience for the younger skater. Brian had thanked Javier for that.

"Omatase shimashita. I make you wait."

Speak of the other Olympic champion of Sochi. Yuzuru Hanyu bowed to them before pulling up a chair and sitting at the table with them.

Yuna smiled and nodded, and Javier said "Right. Let's get started. Is anyone hungry? Thirsty? Yuzu, there are some soup and salad options. Yuna, I hope you're not on a diet."

She winked at him. "Since I've won 2 Olympic gold medals, my agency and coaches have given me permission to eat whatever I want."

Javier raised his brows. "Really? What about your TV sponsors? You know what they say. The camera adds 10 pounds."

In response, Yuna threw a straw at him, making him laugh.

For Yuzuru, this was the part he was not good at.

Even without competing, he was still very introverted. He never really went out, even when his mother gave him permission to go see Toronto. "I don't want you in the house all the time, playing video games or doing homework. You finish them right away! Go spend time with Javier. He knows how to talk to people."

It would make his mother so proud to know that he was with two Olympic medallists - the first double Olympic champion of South Korea, who was the 3rd woman ever in history to twin back to back gold medals; and the first Olympic medallist for Spain. Javier had received his mother's approval; she had even said it was ok if he stayed out late if he was with Javier. "Your father says 'Good. He needs to be with his betters.' Take advantage of this time here, Yuzuru. You won't have this experience again."

Really, he was in awe of Yuna Kim, as much as anyone else was. It seemed awfully rude to bother her over her jump layout during the Olympics (he had actually watched the replay after his own competition). He and Yuna Kim had taken pictures together, along with the other champions in Sochi. They had congratulated each other. Talking should have been easy.

And yet, Yuzuru still felt like there was a wall between him, Javier Fernandez and Yuna Kim.

Maybe it was just nerves. After all, he never thought he'd ever shake hands or spend time with Yuna Kim like this. He should be grateful to Javier for this opportunity.

Yuzuru said "Javi no pay. I can pay for myself."

Javier replied "That's not up to you. We're going out to see Toronto on my time, so leave the tip to me. Remember, no quad Sal for you!"

This put Yuzuru into 'kuyashii' mode.

Yuna tsked. "Javi, it's not nice to tease your friend. Why don't you just show him to do the 4T-euler-3F?"

At once, Yuzuru's mood lightened up. He looked to Javier, who exclaimed "You jinxed me!"

"Jinx?"

Javier shook his head. He said to Yuzuru "It's an English slang term used in America. Kind of hard to explain."

To Yuna, who looked quite amused, Javier said "Now he's going to try it tomorrow. Yuzu-"

Yuzuru had a hopeful smile on his face. The Spanish Olympic medallist said "Remember what Brian and Ghislain said."

He began to whine. "But Habiii~~"

"We have to make sure we make it to Saitama. And that means, no risky jumps. We just finished 1-3 at the Olympics! Don't worry Kikuchi-san or your mother."

Yuzuru frowned. "You mean!"

Javier grabbed onto the idea of Yumi Hanyu. "I'm being realistic. And also, if you try the 4T-euler-3F before you're even ready, and fall because you can't get the 4S consistent, I'll go over to your place and tell your mom."

"Nani!"

Yuzuru had shot up at this. Javier was up as well, covered the boy's mouth, and lowered them both down. "Come on, Yuzu. You're in front of your idol."

This made Yuzuru abashed. To her, he bowed his head. "I apologize for my rudeness."

"You're very determined, Hanyu-kun. I believe you'll win. I bet you could do it with only the triple Axel. There's little difference in points between the 4T and the 3A."

"Still need quads. Javi had quads, so does Patrick. I do not have yet quad combo like Javi, who put 3F in with 4T. Only 4T-3T."

Javier said "Your 3Lz-euler-3Sal was good."

"But not advanced like Habi."

This made Javier sigh. "Yuzu, enough talk about skating. We're supposed to be having fun being outside of the rink. Tomorrow at the rink, you can skate all you want."

Yuzuru looked like a scolded child.

Then Yuna said "If you like, we can try the 3F-euler-3S. I'll be at the rink tomorrow."

Javier couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation as Yuzuru turned his laser-focus onto the double Olympic champion. "How you do that?"

"I can show you tomorrow."

Finally, Yuzuru stopped yammering on about quads and skating. They ordered their food, talked about their plans for the week, as well as the year, before leaving the cafe.

\-------------------------------

Going to the park was fun, but the moment several people started noticing them and pointing, Javier quickly guided them away. But not enough that pictures of them were taken.

Downtown Toronto was an interesting place that Javi hadn't really ventured to. Some stores had some things that seemed nice enough to window-shop, while some were interesting enough to walk into. The wharf was a good place to see the sea lions, who were barking up a storm on the wooden rafts on the water.

There was a shelter that was showing off their dogs and cats. Javier had Effie, but he wasn't discriminate about petting other animals. There was one friendly dog that bumped his knees, which he bent down to pet.

Yuna was shaking hands with another dog that was half her height.

And Yuzuru...

There were a few cats that were around him, one in his lap. Yuzuru exclaimed "This one look like Effie!"

Javier smiled. He went over (leaving the dog he was with to go to the next happy human potential adoptee), and one cat noticed him. Javier waited for its approval, and the cat leaned against his calves, purring. "Have you thought about getting a pet, Yuzu?"

Yuzuru pouted. "No. I have no time. I skate and train. Okaasan would be left with pet."

"Does your dad and sister have one?"

"Not that I've heard, yet. Okaasan would have told me."

Yuna came over. "Oh my, I've never had the opportunity to meet cats."

Javier blinked. "Really?"

"Besides Effie, I haven't really interacted much with animals."

"You and Yuzu need to get out more. You can, Yuna, now that you're retired. How about getting a pet?"

Yuna said "Actually, the president of South Korea is going to give me a dog. Most likely, South Korean purebred."

"Jindo?"

"I got my parents that, actually. My sister has a Sapsaree. I'd rather support the dog rescue than have a dog for myself, though. It would be a better way to protect South Korea's treasures."

Javier said "Then you can do that. Together with your new animal friend. South Korea will definitely listen to you, its first double Olympic champion."

"I don't know. Figure skating is still new. Speed skating is still the dominant sport. Such traditions aren't so quickly changed or done away with."

Javi nodded. "That's true. Bull fighting is still Spain's noblest custom. But I don't agree with it."

"I feel the same way about the way dogs and other animals are treated in my country. Still, if I can use my Olympic status to the effect that people will change their minds, it is worth a try. Thank you, Javi, for helping me again."

"My pleasure, mi reina."


End file.
